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Technical Writing Test # 2

Due: Thursday, March 31st
Submit by 7:00 pm Hard Copies
Only
COMPLETE ALL PARTS ON THIS
TEST
Part 1: Are the following statements True or False? ( 10 points)
1. With block format, all new paragraphs are indented.
(a.) True

(b. ) False

2. In business letters a salutation is generally followed by a comma or a colon.

(a.) True

(b. ) False

3. Business letters should be simple and easy to read.

(a.) True

(b. ) False

4. It is advisable to wait a day between writing and sending an important letter.

(a.) True

(b. ) False

5. The date on a business letter should appear after the salutation.

(a.) True

(b. ) False

6. An "Enclosure" note should appear below the typed name of the sender at the end of
the letter.
(a.) True

(b. ) False

7. The first paragraph of a business letter should be comprised entirely of "small talk".
(a.) True

(b. ) False

8. Contact suggestions generally appear in the closing paragraph of the letter.

(a.) True

(b. ) False

9. Identifying the audience is one of the first steps in planning a business letter.
(a.) True

(b. ) False

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10. It is considered standard formatting to include the recipient's address before the
salutation in a business letter.
(a.) True (b. ) False

Part # 2: Label the Parts of The Letter:

March 16, 2016
Mr. Ernie English
English Company
1234 Writing Lab Lane
Write City, IN 12345

[alternative spot for date]

Dear Mr. English:

The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point
of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the
purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but
do not go in to detail until the next paragraph.
Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify
your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics
or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter
should be enough to support your reasoning.
Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is
important. If the purpose of your letter is related to your employment,
consider ending your letter with your contact information and title if it not
included on letterhead. However, if the purpose is informational, think about
closing with gratitude for the readers time.
Sincerely,
<SIGNATURE GOES HERE>
Lucy Letter
President

encl. [use this only to signify that there are one or more enclosures]

Section 3: Recall
1. List and Define Five Types of Business Letters. ( 10 points)
Answer:

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1. Inquiry Letters: Inquiry letters ask a question or elicit information from the
recipient. When composing this type of letter, keep it clear and succinct and
list exactly what information you need. Be sure to include your contact
information so that it is easy for the reader to respond.
2.

Acknowledgment Letters: Acknowledgment letters act as simple receipts.

Businesses send them to let others know that they have received a prior
communication, but action may or may not have taken place.

3. Follow-Up Letter: Follow-up letters are usually sent after some type of initial
communication. This could be a sales department thanking a customer for an
order, a businessman reviewing the outcome of a meeting or a job seeker
inquiring about the status of his application. In many cases, these letters are a
combination thank-you note and sales letter.
1. Letters of Recommendation: Prospective employers often ask job applicants
for letters of recommendation before they hire them. This type of letter is
usually from a previous employer or professor, and it describes the senders
relationship with and opinion of the job seeker.
4. Letters of Resignation: When an employee plans to leave his job, a letter of
resignation is usually sent to his immediate manager giving him notice and
letting him know when the last day of employment will be. In many cases, the
employee also will detail his reason for leaving the company.

2. What are the seven elements of a news article ( 7 points)

Headline: It catches your eyes and sums up the story. It is usually
in larger font and often bolded. "Shantoya wins $50 Million!"
Byline: This tells you who wrote the article and sometimes gives
you the journalists specialty, for example, Science Reporter
Placeline: It tells you where the story originated.
Lead: This gives the most important information very briefly
(usually who, what, when and where)
Body: It supplies additional information. It is divided into small
paragraphs.
Facts: Every news article includes simple, true statements about
what happened, such as The flooding set the buildings security
system off at 5:15 a.m.

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Quotations: These retell, word for word, what someone actually

said. Usually these quotations come from witnesses at the scene,
or experts on a subject. For example: Mrs. Nanavati, principal of
Fletcher's, said, "It was one of the most amazing things I have
ever seen!"
3. Define a Memo ( 1 point)
1. Memo: a written message, especially in business.
4. How many words should an abstract be? ( 1 Point)
150 to 250 words),
5: Who Writes Business Letters Complete the Following: Use the
words below to complete) (6 points)
(business, consumer, company, employee, staff member, government
official)

business ____business________

business _____consumer_______

job applicant ___company_____________

citizen ___government offical_____________

employer ___employee_____________

staff member ________staff member__________

6.Give six reasons Business Letters are written. ( 6 Points)

to persuade

to inform

to request

to express thanks

to remind

to recommend

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Part 4: Label the first five Parts of this News Article as Per Listed in
the Hand out- The Elements of a News Article ( 5 Points).

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Part 5: Journal Abstracting (8 points)

Provide the Name of Each Section of the narrative below on
the lines provided:
______________The Effectiveness of a Group Discrete Trial Instructional Approach
for Preschoolers with Developmental Disabilities Demonstrated to consistently
increase the correct responding of preschoolers
_______________Taubman, Mitchell; Brierley, Sally; Wishner, Jennifer; Baker, Danielle;
McEachin, John; Leaf, Ronald B
______________Research in Developmental Disabilities, v22 n3 p205-19 May-Jun 2001
________________A study examined the effectiveness of a group instructional extension
of one-to-one discrete trial teaching, which involves the overlapping of trials among
students along with the use of sequential and choral group teaching. The approach was
demonstrated to consistently increase the correct responding of eight preschoolers with
developmental disabilities.

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Part 6: Memorandum (10 points)

Write a memo to your boss about an illegal practice in your
office.

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